But let’s start at the beginning: the tour was to start at 1:30 PM only but we wanted to do some sightseeing of our own in area around Findlay Market, where the tour was supposed to start, and snoop around inside Finlay Market, too, plus have some lunch. Findlay Market in Cincinnati’s historical Over-the-Rhine district is Ohio’s oldest continuously operated public market. Well, to be there early enough and to have some time, we left Goshen at around 10:20, and we were lucky to easily find parking only a few steps away from Findlay Market. Inside the market we have a yummy snack-lunch and then we spend some time inside and around. Here there are a few pictures:

Outside Findlay Marker we later met our tour guide, Cathy, as well as the other participants. Our first “landmark” was Eckerlin Meats, opened 1855 by Ernie Eckerlin, an immigrant from Baden/Germany. We got to try there a specialty of German immigrants, “Goetta“, a meat-and-grain meatloaf, primarily composed of ground pork, or pork and beef, oats and spices. The name comes from the low-German “Grötte”, high-German “Grütze “. I was reminded of a dish called “Pannas“, a mixture of pig’s blood, pieces of fat bacon, and buckwheat flour, pan-fried, which in my childhood days was eaten after the slaughtering of pigs – not exactly my favourite dish. Both “Goetta” and “Pannas” to me seem to have been a cheap dish, born of the need to use all and everything left over after slaughtering, as well as a way to make the (expensive) meat last longer. I talked to our German dish “Pannas” with the butcher there. Oh well, something else: I liked the “Goetta”.

After that we went for a further food-tasting, inside Findlay Market, at “A Taste of Belgium“. There we tried their waffles, created with their very own special recipe: a very thick batter with coarse beet sugar that caramelizes in the hot waffle iron. I must admit: I could have stayed there and could have gone on feasting! But now we had to continue our “sightseeing proper”, first by streetcar [our day-tickets were included in the price of the tour] to Washington Park. A remark here about the streetcars: not only that without riding the streetcars once in a while we would not have been able to do the tour, it was also a wonderful relief in the heat and humidity to be able to sit down in the cool completely air-conditioned carriages. But before we go there, let;s have a look at the fine Italianate architecture in W Elder Street:

Mural – Someone Needs to Be Careful with Her Finger(s)Lest the Gesture Might Be Misinterpreted

… we went on – again by streetcar – to downtown Cincinnati, where we took the express lift to the viewing platform on top of the Carew Tower – here a few picturesfor a view not only all over Cincinnati itself, but also over (parts of] Ohio and into the neighbouring states of Kentucky and – very far in the distance – Indiana …

… and where we also stopped at Fountain Square for ice cream [Graeter’s], which was also included in the tour price. Graeter’s ice cream is handcrafted from an old recipe in small batches at a time only, and in the end it is so thick and, as I had the pleasure to find out, so wonderfully creamy, that it cannot mechanically be pumped into its containers but has to be put in by hand, using large spoons. Some flavours also have thick lumps of chocolate in the ice cream. This again is not done in the usual way, just throwing pieces of chocolate into it, but at Graeter’s they melt the chocolate and then pour it into the pots with the ice cream and stir it in, which makes for sometimes quite large chunks of chocolate and – at the same time – wonderfully creamy ones: this chocolate melts on your tongue. The variety we got to taste, black raspberry ice cream with chocolate, at first – when I just heard the name – didn’t seem to appeal to me very much. I could not imagine these ingredients would go together. But the very first spoonful convinced me to the contrary: I could have regaled myself on tons of it! After a “tourist portrait” at the fountain …

TYPICAL Tourists! – At Least They Didn’t Take a Selfie But Had the Decency to Ask Someone Else to Take This Picture!

… looked at more architecture …

… sahen uns noch mehr Architektur an …

Cincinnati Downtown Buildings

Cincinnati Downtown Buildings

Cincinnati Downtown Buildings

… we walked on a few blocks to the bank of the river, …

… ging es dann zu Fuß zum Flussufer weiter, …

The John A. Roebling Suspesnion Bridge

Down by the Banks of the Ohio

… where we found shelter from quite a heavy shower in the Anderson Pavilion. Since both Mary and I were quite footsore and as it was extremely humid after the downpour, we did not – as did the others – go down the Smale Riverside Park, but ended the tour here and went over to the Great American Ballpark, the home of the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati’s famous baseball team, as Mary was hoping that there, in their hall of fame and museum, she might find a penny press machine. Alas – she had no luck.

And thus we took the streetcar [we still had our day tickets] back to our car and drove to Loveland fur supper. This time there was no wait at “The Works” and we enjoyed a yummy supper. And there a wonder happened: Mary found a penny press machine inside that restaurant! What a wonderful surprise! That made her day! And now, as this is more important that the food, here’s a picture of the machine:

You’re welcome, Cathy. Mary and I enjoyed Cincinnati a lot. Our time there was way too short, though, as we did not only Cincinnati itself but also had a wonderful bicycle ride along the Little Miami River.

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven’t posted in forever, but since I started my company Cincinnati Urban Adventures http://www.cincinnatiurbanadventures I’ve been crazy busy and my husband passed away almost five months ago. 😦 Anyway, here is a post by Pit, a fellow blogger and friend did about his experience on one of my tours. He and his wife stayed with my husband and I while they were in Cincinnati visiting. If I don’t respond to your comments, it’s because I’m still bogged down with selling things since my husband’s death.

When I think about Cincinnati, I don’t think of much of anything at all. It’s one of those places that’s been only a name for me. But what an interesting town — full of varied attractions and good food, which always is a good combination.

I kept thinking today about the Findlay Market (which I see has quite a reputation) and finally realized it was reminding me of the Hendley Market in Galveston. In this April, 2018 article, I noticed that the upper floor, which once contained offices, has been turned into vacation rental apartments. That might be something to tuck into your travel files for use “some day.”

As for that ice cream, I came across Yarnell’s in Arkansas. It’s been made in the state for decades, and it’s only sold in Arkansas. I thought it was the best ice cream I’d ever had — obviously, a comparison taste test is in order. Too bad Cincinnati’s so far away.

I might have missed it in the conversation up above, but I wondered if the city was named after the Roman general Cincinnatus — and indeed it was. One amusing note (well, amusing to me, anyway) — I had to go back through my comment and change the city’s spelling every time I used it. I have a habit of doubling consonants when they shouldn’t be, or only using one when there should be two. You can see what my problem was. This time, I caught it before posting and didn’t go on about the town of “Cinncinati”!

First of all, Linda: thanks for telling me to look in my spam folder. As I wrote in my email to you, it was not only this your comment here, but quite a few others, too.
Ours was the same experience: we, too, didn’t know much about Cincinnati before we went there, … and found out how interesting a city it is.
Thanks for mentioning Hendley Market in Galveston, and the link. I’m so surprised that I missed that article in Texas Highways. We get this magazine. And as to the place itself: I need to ask Mary [her memory is so much better than mine] if we did go in when we were in Galveston. I think we did as we explored The Strand more than once.
Maybe at some time we could change and do an “IceCreamTasting RoadTrip” instead of a “RailTrailsRoadTrip”! 😀

Well, even with bicycling, those calories build up. I can assure you from my very own experience. I can’t get rid of as many calories by bicycling as I can easily take in afterwards. And with such good ice cream [as well as other goodies] I can only quote a German friend of mine, “Shall I eat it first, or shall I immediately staple it to my hips?” 😀

That’s quite a thorough introduction to Cincinnati, a city I knew almost nothing about beyond the Roebling Bridge. Did you know that the Roebling Company provided the cables and other materials for the suspension bridge in Waco?

Good morning, Steve,
I’m happy I could introduce you to a city you didn’t know that well up to now. Thanks for the info about the bridge in Waco. I hadn’t known that, I should have the chance to see that bridge some time, as both my wife and I want to spend a few days in Waco – maybe next year.
As to the ice cream: it’s gooooooood!
Have a great day,
Pit

So glad you told us about the tour and the streetcar (We’re not so young anymore, either, and that would help)! We’ve been to OTR and a Reds game, but many of your sites are new to us. We’re headed to Cleveland next week to see the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and may drive home through Cincinnati, so your suggestions have come at the right time. Thanks!

True: for people of our age [I hate to admit it! 😀 ] the streetcar is a help. But with that tour, it’s a necessity for all ages. You might want to do that tour. I can recommend it. Glad I could give you some advice.
Enjoy the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of fame. On our tour, we when to Memphis, to Graceland, plus the Stax and the Sun Recording Studios. All of that was well worth it. It’ll take me a little while until I’ll be able to post about that.

It sure is a great city, well worthvisiting. Especially with a good tour guide. We loved strolling [or should I say “being pushed”?] around the market. 😉
Glad you liked the tour.
Have a wonderful week,
Pit

Glad you like the cityscapes, Raj! As to “Fifth Third Bank” (and similar names): I always wonder how one and the same institution can be “fifth” and “third” at the same time. With such a confusion of mathematical logic, how can one trust such a bank??!! 😀

Hey Pit – I had no idea “Zinzinnati” was so appealing.
And a great town to visit when you’re hungry. I’d like to try the “goetta” which is a new one on me – – it sounds similar to Pennsylvania’s pork “scrapple” (Pannhaas) which one of my grandfathers used to make – but always with corn meal, never with oats, although I’ve heard of people making it with buckwheat.
I’m also a huge fan of bridges, and have been wanting to see that Roebling suspension bridge, even older than the one to Brooklyn.
Well, you’ve really outdone yourself this time – – an excellent travel piece, and an excellent photo album. I particularly liked the architectural shots.
best, RPT

Robert,
With the right tour guide, Cincinnati WAS appealing – but for the heat and humidity. 😉
As to “goetta”: if I remember correctly, “scrapple” is indeed very similar to it. But I’m really intrigued by you calling that by a different name, “Pannhaas”, which is so similar to our German “Pannas”. Well, a lot of immigrants to Pennsylvania came from Germany, so it’s actually no great wonder,
I love bridges, too, and I tried to ride my bike across as many as possible on that road trip. Unfortunately not the Roebling Bridge in Cincinnati.
I’m so glad about your praise for this article! 😀 In Germany we’d say, “Das geht mir runter wie Oel.” = That goes down my throat like oil. 😀
Cheers,
Pit